Author's Note: Well, I've officially gone off the deep end. This story will hopefully be the first of several FF7/Star Wars crossover fics that I'm planning to eventually write. It will be a series of chapter fics and oneshots that will be centered more around Zack and Sephiroth than any other FF7 or Star Wars character. Since I'm not really familiar enough with the official Star Wars characters to write them (and since I'm hoping this could still fit somewhere within the main Star Wars timeline), I'm not planning to bring in the official characters too often. So I will create some OCs as needed to move the story along, though it seems inevitable that certain official characters will show up at some point! This will also be the first fic that I'll be posting chapter by chapter as I write it - previously, I've had the entire story written before I post anything. So this will definitely be an interesting experience for me! And it also allows you to suggest ideas and plot points that I might incorporate. :) Many thanks to LuckyLadybug who let me throw my crazy ideas at her! And now, here is the official launch of my new crossover verse. Hope you enjoy!

EDIT: Apologies if you get an email about this chapter again - I'm replacing the scene dividers that FanFiction(dot)Net so unkindly deleted for me.

Distant Worlds, Broken Souls

By

Kazaam

Prologue

Hey…would you say…I became a hero?

There was a time, once, when things were peaceful in the Lifestream.

It had been a relief, a comfort, to finally cross the threshold into the life energy of the Planet. It was like going home. With the warmth spreading through him as Angeal reached down a guiding hand, Zack felt that he had at last woken from the nightmare that had all but consumed him over the last five years. The chains that had bound him to it were finally slipping away.

His trials and pain were over. He'd earned his peace, finally able to rest after everything – the horrors, the sadness, the regret. Like the sunlight breaking through dark rain clouds, his heart was at ease. He'd passed his legacy on to Cloud – his own time was over now. He knew Cloud would have difficult choices ahead, but he knew he'd make it and, right now, everything was all right.

He could rest.

It was a true joy to see Angeal again. Gone were Zack's resentment and doubts over Angeal's prior actions. There was only forgiveness, acceptance…friendship and love. The confusion and uncertainty that had plagued Zack as he and Cloud had trekked across the Planet had melted away. Zack could feel how proud Angeal was over everything he had done to overcome their situation and fight back, to save Cloud and reach freedom. There were no words to describe how powerful the emotions were, nearly overwhelming the two at their long awaited reunion. But this was the Lifestream, and no words were needed.

As Angeal pulled him into a strong embrace, enfolding him within the warmth and safety of his wings, Zack could feel the rest of the Planet welcoming him with open arms. They rejoiced at his success, for that's exactly what it was. There was no sense of having failed in dying and leaving friends and loved ones behind. Zack had accomplished everything he was supposed to; things were no longer up to him to face. That was a journey that Cloud and others would take, but Zack had ensured that the first steps down that road had been made.

There were no regrets within Zack's heart, as he ascended into the heavens. He was at peace.

And so, there was a time, once, when all was calm within the Lifestream.

Until Sephiroth discovered that he could control the spirits of those who were once SOLDIERs.

The peace was not immediately disrupted, for Sephiroth was subtle, insidious, working slowly, carefully, to avoid discovery.

After being sent to the Lifestream, Sephiroth had occupied his time with learning the secrets of the Ancients, the Cetra, understanding the workings of the Planet and the life that circled within and around it. He'd harbored the knowledge and gathered his strength for the day when he would finally set his plans into motion, the day when he would hold the vastness of the Lifestream itself in the palm of his hand and declare himself a god.

The alien entity known as Jenova had enlightened him, revealing his true purpose on this world. Though she'd sought to impose her will upon him though her cells that existed within, deceiving him with the very ruse she'd used to mislead and vanquish the Cetra, Sephiroth's will was too strong. The lie worked, however, but rather than becoming a tool for her, Sephiroth adopted her will and purpose as his own. In essence, they became one and the same – Sephiroth was Jenova, and Jenova, Sephiroth. He maintained his identity, but it was merely as if they were one coin, with his image on one side and hers on the other.

During his quest for knowledge, Sephiroth discovered that, through the Jenova cells, he was able to influence others who held the same cells: SOLDIERs.

So he toyed with this power, lightly manipulating the spirits of SOLDIERs who'd already come to the Lifestream. Jenova cells were like parasites – they refused to relinquish hold even once their hosts had died, and so they tenaciously clung to their spirits even after death. In essence, this was a small portion of the Lifestream that Sephiroth could bend to his will.

Could he use these souls, this contaminated Lifestream, to help bring about his goals?

The troublesome fact remained, however, that there simply weren't enough corrupted souls to be had. He was certain that the rest of the Lifestream would swamp him with its power had he tried to do anything extreme. So he chose to lay low for a while, and instead focused his attentions on one blond infantryman – the same infantryman who'd succeeded in unexpectedly killing him in the Nibelheim reactor, and who, now, thanks to Hojo, Sephiroth could sense through Jenova's cells.

It wasn't as if Sephiroth held a grudge against him, of course, the ordinary boy who'd successfully taken down the most powerful man on the Planet. Not at all. It was just that his mind was so weak. And it was so deliciously fitting, so wonderfully ironic, that he be used to orchestrate Sephiroth's own rise to power.

Zack was blissfully unaware of this for some time after joining the Lifestream. He'd deserved his rest, after all, and was busy getting the hang of his new existence, glad to once again be reunited with Angeal and other friends who'd gone before him.

He didn't know what prompted him to first turn his attention back to the events on the Planet. But once he did, and saw that Sephiroth was somehow moving about, he was suddenly aware of the dark, malevolent presence buried deep within the Lifestream.

How had he not noticed it before? Had he been so blinded by the relief and peace of the Lifestream that he'd just ignored anything that threatened to upset that? Zack was furious with himself. Despite everything he'd been though, he couldn't call an end to his duties, not if Sephiroth was involved. Not if the danger was coming from the Lifestream itself!

But how had Sephiroth done it? It seemed as if he was able to reach out of the Lifestream and influence people as if they were mere puppets.

There was only one way to find out, and that was from Sephiroth himself. So, with Angeal cautioning him to be careful, Zack took off for the Northern Crater, where his presence seemed to be centered.

Over the next year, Zack attempted to stop Sephiroth, to try to talk some sense into him. The betrayal at Nibelheim and the horrors in Hojo's care had thankfully faded during the short time before Zack left to confront him, allowing Zack's resentment for his former General to fade with it, so he hoped that Sephiroth could be saved from this madness. He hoped this would be his second chance to make up for his failure to help him at Nibelheim. He hoped that he could still call Sephiroth a friend.

It was during his first direct confrontation that Zack learned firsthand how Sephiroth was able to extend his reach over the Planet. For Zack had Jenova cells within him, more, Sephiroth was pleased to note, than the other SOLDIERs in the Lifestream. Hojo had done his job well. Zack's soul was almost as corrupted as Sephiroth's own.

Sephiroth seized control of Zack's essence, crushing his spirit in an iron vice. His will smothered Zack's own, and he was almost lost completely, despite frantic struggles to break free. It wasn't until Sephiroth directed Zack to take the Masamune and strike down a certain Ancient, sure to be a thorn in his side if she wasn't stopped, that his sheer panic lent him the strength needed to throw off Sephiroth's influence.

Zack fled.

He hid from Sephiroth, burying himself within the Lifestream, horrified at what he'd almost done. He'd been so close to taking the life of his beloved with his own hands, and utterly powerless to stop her inevitable death. Was there nothing he could do?

When she arrived in the Lifestream, Zack almost couldn't bring himself to see her, the guilt weighing heavy on his heart. But he did, and her forgiveness and gentle encouragement prompted him to try to reach Sephiroth again.

And again. And again.

For two years after the destruction of Meteor, Zack tried to confront Sephiroth, to save Cloud the pain of having to deal with him. He tried everything he could think of to reach out to the man.

In the end, they fought. Zack lost track of the number of skirmishes they had. Sometimes it would be quick, sometimes there would be a grand struggle, and sometimes Sephiroth would brush him aside as easily as one would flick a fallen autumn leaf off a shoulder.

Zack wondered if Sephiroth only deigned to battle him for amusement.

Through all this, Zack was forced to guard his mind from Sephiroth's dark influence. Aerith had showed him how. It was a struggle to keep up, however, and at times his control slipped. It was at these times that Sephiroth confronted him with his own memories…memories of Nibelheim. There was fire and death and pain…so much pain. It cracked his control further, wore down his spirit. Sephiroth rarely attempted a direct takeover like that first time, but Zack was aware of nudges on his consciousness every so often, leaving him jumping at shadows. He could never be sure whether he was unknowingly falling right into Sephiroth's hands.

At some point, Zack had gone from wanting to save Sephiroth, to wanting to defeat him. He wasn't even aware that the shift in his thinking had occurred. He was simply bent on stopping the man by any means necessary, and if that meant completely destroying him, then that was what would be done.

Perhaps Zack's efforts should be credited for it taking Sephiroth two years to make his next move on the Planet. In any case, Zack seemed as powerless to keep him from returning to battle Cloud, as he had been to keep him from killing Aerith. It appeared that Sephiroth had made his hatred for Cloud the core of his very being. It was impossible to compete with a feeling that unbelievably strong.

After Sephiroth and his remnants were defeated by Cloud, Zack, once again, went to face him.

It was getting incredibly hard to keep this up. Zack worried that Sephiroth would soon grow tired of his constant interference and just destroy him. But if there was yet one last thing he was able to do, and one last ounce of energy left to his spirit, he would keep trying.

Zack had one more plan to put into action. He'd discovered something new about Sephiroth: when Cloud had defeated him two years ago, before the Lifestream had even pushed back Meteor to save the Planet, Sephiroth had sacrificed a part of himself. He'd surrendered all the memories of who he was to the Lifestream: precious memories, memories of when he was young, of his friends, Angeal and Genesis and Zack, of all the happy moments they'd shared, of the sad moments, of battles and hopes and dreams…of everything. Everything except for his hatred of Cloud and memories deeply related to it, which he'd rebuilt his soul around. In effect, the Sephiroth that existed now had been born in the fires of Nibelheim. He was nothing but a force of hatred and destruction, a dark phoenix with evil at his heart and the goal of destroying all life on the Planet.

With that being the case, it was no surprise that none of Zack's efforts had succeeded in getting through to him. So, Zack had taken it upon himself to travel the Lifestream, collecting all the fragments of Sephiroth's memories and piecing them together, reconstructing an image of the real Sephiroth, his General and mentor, his friend.

Friend. How strange to think of that word in conjunction with Sephiroth now. It had been so long since those days…eight years. Eight years! Zack hoped that this would be the end of things, one way or another. He didn't think he could keep going like this. His spirit was literally wearing thin.

Zack hoped that, in confronting Sephiroth with all those memories, all at once, they would overwhelm him and break his madness. He couldn't help but absorb them all, becoming the person he once was and ending this nightmare.

Zack hoped so, anyway. And that the person he once was wouldn't just shed all the memories all over again. Zack didn't know what he'd do if that happened.

It took a while, and Zack took painstaking care to ensure that no one found out what he was doing, not even Aerith… He didn't want to chance a whisper of this somehow getting back to Sephiroth. And when, after a small eternity, Zack finally had all the pieces, he set out in search of that core of hatred. He bid a silent farewell to Aerith, not wanting to let her know even then, even as he regretted it. He knew that she was worried about him, worried that he'd break under the stress and might not come back to her. He tried not to worry about it himself, though he knew all too well that it might be true.

This was it. Zack knew, deep down, that there were no other options left if he failed. Sephiroth was simply too powerful. There was no other way to talk him out of it, for there was nothing of the original Sephiroth left to reach – Zack now held all that there had been in the palms of his own hands.

If this didn't work, Sephiroth would continue to return to the Planet, tormenting Cloud, again and again and again. It might be several years before each return, but return he would, because Sephiroth's will was indomitable and there was more corruption in the Lifestream than there had ever been before. The Jenova cells endured, as Sephiroth did, and as long as one or the other remained, the Planet was in danger. Cloud and the others wouldn't always be around to stop him at every reincarnation. Eventually, they would tire, one by one, each coming home to the Lifestream.

Fortifying his own spirit for the grueling battle ahead, Zack held the precious fragments of the real Sephiroth close to his heart, and set out in search of the monster his friend had become, following the dark waves reverberating through the Lifestream. Zack was determined to finish this, and if he regained a friend or was at last torn asunder until nothing remained…so be it.

End Prologue